By Nishat Karim

York University has four categories of annual University-Wide Teaching Awards that it presents for excellence in teaching. This article concludes the series showcasing each of the 1999 recipients from the categories of senior full-time faculty, full-time faculty, contract/part-time faculty, as well as teaching assistants. Presented during convocation, these awards are sponsored by the York Parents' Association and the recipients are selected by the Senate Committee on Teaching and Learning.

Malcolm Blincow

During his 25 years with the Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Graduate Studies, Professor Malcolm Blincow has been recognized as an outstanding lecturer and seminar leader of both graduate and undergraduate courses. As a result, he has been selected as a co-recipient of the 1999 Parents' Association University-Wide Teaching Award for senior full-time faculty.

Over the years, Blincow has generously given his time to provide directed reading courses and incalculable hours of student-advising. He has served tirelessly with dedication and enthusiasm in the Graduate Programme of Anthropology as a graduate supervisor and as a member of the thesis committee for numerous graduate students.

Blincow has been singled out for his accessibility, superb critical mind, remarkable breadth of knowledge and devotion to teaching. He is treasured by colleagues and students alike as a mentor, a motivator and an articulate model of excellence.

"My lasting impression of Dr. Blincow is one of dedication - to true scholarship, to ideas and, most importantly, to his students," remarked one student.

by Michael G. Boyer

A memorial service was planned for Dr. Fowle at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 3, Vanier Hall.

Charles David Fowle, professor emeritus, a founding member of York University and first Chair of the Biology Department, died at his home in October after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 79 years old.

Dr. Fowle came to York University in 1960 well prepared for the arduous task ahead. After he received his PhD in 1953 from the University of Toronto, he spent 13 years with the then Department of Lands and Forests of Ontario as biologist-in-charge of wildlife research. He was instrumental in establishing the wildlife research station at Lake Sasajewan in Algonquin Park. Subsequent research focused on long-term studies of the larger forest mammals with results that eventually shaped our understanding of and attitudes to wildlife and its management in Ontario.

When York University was transformed from a liberal-arts oriented college to a multi-faculty institution, Dr. Fowle took up the challenge with enthusiasm and created the Biology Department. He spent long hours in consultation on the design and equipping of what became the Farquharson Biology Building. Dr. Fowle was Chair of the department from 1963 to 1966, giving to the department the stamp of his own personality and abilities. He taught in many of the courses that he helped to design, including Introductory Biology that was to become Bio. 101 of the Interdisciplinary Science Programme required by all students in the science faculty. He introduced and taught the natural science course Evolution, and in the senior level taught courses in ecology, comparative anatomy and ecosystems.

Dr. Fowle was a gifted teacher with a profound knowledge of wildlife and the natural environment. He always found time to advise and help students in many ways. From 1965-1980 he supervised the research of a number of graduate students whose interests lay in bird behavior and habitat selection. He implemented with them a series of important field studies on the impact of pesticides on specific bird species. These became part of a large interdisciplinary study sponsored by the Canadian Wildlife Service to monitor the effects of aerial applications of pesticides to control spruce budworm in the forests of New Brunswick. It proved to be one of the most thorough studies of its kind in the world with far-reaching implications for the regulation of pesticide use.

In 1966, Dr. Fowle accepted an appointment as Master of Vanier College at a time when the role of the colleges in University life was continually being re-examined and questioned and when student activism was alive and well among those in the Faculty of Arts. His reasons for accepting the position were motivated in part by his admiration and interest in the more spirited, liberal thinking and open-minded students of the Faculty of Arts who gave to college life its vigor and expression. Later, he returned to the Faculty of Science, his affection and regard for Faculty of Arts students not only intact but enhanced.

Dr. Fowle earned the gratitude of Canadians at large. As vice-president of the Royal Canadian Institute he was both initiator and Chair of the Institute's summer science program. He was an executive member and president of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists and a founding member and trustee of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, an organization dedicated to raising funds for the preservation of significant ecological areas. He served as well as a founder of the Canadian Nature Federation and as member of the Ontario Waterfowl Research Foundation and the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas Management Committee. In addition, he was advisor and consultant to the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry's Advisory Committee on Nature Reserves. He was for several years an active member of the Pesticides Advisory Committee of the Ministry of the Environment, a committee dedicated to assuring the wise use of pesticides in Ontario. Throughout his retirement beginning in 1985 his reputation kept him actively involved in conservation matters.

Among his awards have been the Centennial Medal (1967) and the Jubilee Medal (1998). Two weeks before he died he received the Canadian Council of Ecological Areas' Gold Leaf Award for a lifetime of achievement. Perhaps his greatest award, and one richly deserved, was the respect, affection and admiration of a lifetime of friends.

By Nishat Karim

On Oct. 14 and 15 at York, various nations united for what may have been one of the most significant forums on the University's future. International students at York, originating from regions across the globe, spent two days brainstorming and being creative as well as ingenious. The room was filled with energy as they shared ideas on how York can become an outstanding "international" University.

The Student Forum on International Education aided in defining the key aspects of international education and its benefits from the students' perspective. Research opportunities, languages and cultural experiences, student exchanges, internships and study abroad programs were a few of the areas discussed. The group of 40 students shared experiences, perceptions and their needs with regards to an international program.

The forum was developed as a result of a task force recently established by the Academic Policy and Planning Committee whose aim is to prepare an international strategy for the University. To help develop this strategy, York International was asked to collect relevant information from a representative sample of the student population. Conclusions from this forum will then be presented at a similar faculty forum.

Among the ideas generated by students at the forum were suggestions about necessary improvements. Technology, funding, accessibility and awareness through advertising and marketing were some areas of concern. The students felt that making York graduates "agents of positive change" would assist the University in developing a notable reputation internationally.

Suggestions on how to implement the ideas were given, such as providing staff and administration with development courses to help them understand international students better. As well, international students should be provided with a set of core courses to aid them in understanding the University and Canadian culture. Teaching not only the "western" perspective in classes but incorporating other ideas, was said to be critical. The quality of education is very important to these students. An international centre - an area where students can socialize - was also suggested, to give the students a "home away from home", as well as international links with other universities to help York students studying abroad.

by Susan Scott

Nino Ricci, whose first novel, Lives of The Saints, received the Governor General's Award for fiction in 1990, will spend this academic year at York as Mariano A. Elia Chair in Italian Canadian Studies. Ricci has an office in Founders College and can be reached through ext. 55184. Ricci will be available to speak to classes and give readings at York. As well, other events are planned and there will be further announcements about these during the year.

The 39-year-old author is no stranger to York; he graduated in 1981 with a BA in English Literature. He also has an MA in Creative Writing and Canadian Literature from Concordia University. In fact, his days as a student at Stong College are fictionalized in In A Glass House, his second novel. It's part of his three-novel trilogy which also includes Where She Has Gone, the final installment in the series.

The Gazette recently sat down with Ricci to discuss his life and work.

To hear Nino Ricci tell the story now, it sounds incredible.

During the first few weeks of his first year at York, his creative writing teacher, none other than W.O. Mitchell, himself a celebrated novelist (best known for Who Has Seen The Wind) told Ricci he'd never be a writer and threw him out of class.

What a way to begin your career. Ricci admits the event did shake him up, but he didn't quit. "I was too responsible to leave" he shrugs.

His responsibility notwithstanding, Ricci says his first year was difficult and he was filled with doubts about his career choice. He resolved to leave York at year's end. However, by that time, another "life-changing" event jolted him back to reality. Another professor, Sally Zerker, who taught political science, called Ricci to her office to discuss one of his papers.

"I was expecting bad news, but she surprised me by telling me she thought I was a brilliant student with a great future," says Ricci. "She told me to stop wasting my life. It was a real wake up call."

Ricci still left York, but only for the summer. Against his parents' protestations, he backpacked through Europe - and did a lot of thinking. His better judgment brought him back to the University in the fall.

* * *

Ricci was born in 1959 in Leamington, Ont., a farming area in south-western Ontario. His Italian parents were farmers and raised six children, Ricci a middle child. From the age of 11, he knew he wanted to be a writer. He was an avid reader, encouraged by his siblings who would give him a book to occupy the youngster so he would keep out of their hair. Little did they know this distraction would help shape his future plans.

"I would read something and think 'somebody wrote this, I could do that,'" he explains. His teachers also encouraged him to write and he eventually knew he had a talent for it. His original plan, though, was to pursue law, thinking he could somehow combine it with writing.

"I was reading something by F. Lee Bailey (renowned criminal lawyer who defended O.J. Simpson in his murder trial earlier this decade) and figured, here's a lawyer who can write." Friends convinced him to focus on English "so I majored in English and learned as much as I could about writing." He was particularly interested in a "historical overview" of writing and "finding out where we fit in as writers." He credits respected author, Robertson Davies, with influencing him when Ricci later wrote his trilogy. (Davies' wrote several trilogies including the Deptford series consisting of Fifth Business, The Manticore and World of Wonders).

Another part of his exploration of the history of writing led Ricci to Italy where he studied for a year at the University of Florence.

He doesn't think he has a "style" as a writer and believes "people don't want to write like other people, they want to write like themselves." However, his attitude towards writing has changed.

"When I started writing, I was filled with doubts about every word. Every word was painful, and you think it will get easier, but it doesn't. Twenty years ago I was happy just to create a sentence, now I begin by thinking 'what's worthwhile to say?'" Ricci explains.

He believes his Governor General's Award for Lives of the Saints gave his career a boost. "It really set me on my way." While it offered tremendous public approval, he says it can be "dangerous" getting attached to the approval that these awards can bring because of the "fickleness."

The award also redeemed him in his parents eyes. Self-proclaimed "rebellious by nature," Ricci shocked his parents by first, travelling alone to Europe after his first year of university, then after graduation, going to Africa to teach high school (under the auspices of the international development agency, CUSO). His parents were also wary of his choice of writing as a career. Indeed, his second novel, In A Glass House, explores the dark and somewhat distant relationship between a father and son, which Ricci admits, parallels his own life.

However, his parents "were completely won over" when his first novel was published. Ricci recalls getting the first copy of it, and driving home for his parents 40th wedding anniversary. He presented the book, which is dedicated to them, as a gift.

"They thought it was just that book that had the dedication," he laughs. "But, I explained, that all of them had it." By the time his second book came out, his father joined him on a promotional book tour and was an enthusiastic booster of his successful son.

As for the future, Ricci says he's currently working on a new novel, "something completely different...a historical novel, no family saga." He expects it will be published in 2001.

This year, 1999-2000, is the 15th anniversary of this Chair in the Italian Canadian Studies program at York.

Dr. Mariano A. Elia is a Toronto-area businessman who established an endowment fund at York for the Chair. The Chair's main functions are research, teaching and community outreach, explains Elio Costa, Chair of the Italian Canadian Studies program at the University. He says York has one of the largest Italian Canadian programs in Canada, and approximately 17 per cent of the University's total student population is of Italian origin.

"Whoever the Chair is tries to encourage these functions at York and to reach out into the community through conferences, and presentations in the community," he says.

Costa suggested Ricci as this year's Chair because "he's made a name for himself and belongs to the Canadian literary scene. As an Italian-Canadian, he can help raise the profile of our program at York," he explains. "We're thrilled he is here and are looking forward to working with him."

by Cathy Carlyle

The interrelationship between music and totalitarian ideology during the Third Reich was examined by leading scholars at an international conference at York University. The event was sponsored by the Canadian Centre for German and European Studies and organized by York's Distinguished Research Professor of history Michael Kater, a member of the centre, and by Albrecht Riethmüller, professor and chairman of musicology at the Freie Universität Berlin and the 1999 recipient of the Canada Council John G. Diefenbaker Award.

Are there recognizable characteristics that mark German music as particularly 'Germanic'? What happened to music publishers in Nazi Germany who carried works by Jewish composers? Was composer Richard Wagner a mentor of Adolf Hitler? These questions were discussed at an international conference on Music and Nazism held at York in October, with noted speakers from North America and Europe.

One of the first topics was whether or not there is such a thing as German music. Speakers agreed there is not. Even leading musicologists, after thorough analyses of tonal sequences in music by German composers, could not find anything "Germanic". "Why and where a piece was played and the way it was played - the beat, the instruments used - could mark it as 'Nazi' for some, but that is not an objective criterion of 'Germanic' music," said Michael Kater. "I know of a hideous example of Wagner's Lohengrin used at Auschwitz, from a camp survivor who recalled hearing the piece being played by inmates as he stepped off a cattle car onto the ramp. But this would be no basis for holding that this composition is intrinsically Nazi."

Bernd Sponheuer, professor at Universität Kiel, said although generally the National Socialists realized that they could never have scientific verification of a German quality in music, many still clung to that notion. He quoted a Nazi musicologist who described American music as that which addresses "only our nerves, but not our hearts...a sort of musical sport... without depth." The same person spoke of German music as "a daughter of heaven" which "with the blooms of celestial beauty" turns the German listener into a "metaphysicist" who "believes in the stars".

Professor Michael W. Morse from George Brown College explained it would be impossible for a rational theory of German music to have existed in the Nazi period, since National Socialism itself was grounded in the irrational. While Nazi musicologists were certain that identifiably German music existed, he said, their ideas were based on emotion - "the opposite of reason". The concept of Nazi music was just as much nonsense as were the Nazi theories of race.

David Monod, professor of history at Wilfrid Laurier University, looked at the legacy of Nazism in the post-1945 music establishment, with a view to the "denazification machinery". Denazification of German society was required by the victorious Allies; composers, like other professionals, were under pressure to clear their names in order to continue with their lives. For the Allies, one predicament was to ascertain who had been a Nazi or opportunistic Nazi collaborator. Composer Carl Orff, for instance, attempted to distance himself from the regime by claiming he had been a member of the White Rose resistance group. Monod explained that the Americans, serious about denazification and redemocratization, wanted to use the works of Jewish composers again, but how could former Nazi musicians be trusted with their performance?

"I hope no one here hates worms because I intend to open up a whole can of them," announced Professor Hans Vaget of Smith College. He scrutinized the Wagner cult to see if or how the composer became such a "signal feature" of the Hitler years. Wagner commonly is viewed as Hitler's mentor-from-the-grave, he said, despite the lack of proof for such a nefarious connection. For instance, in Mein Kampf Hitler pays scant attention to Wagner and does not extol him as the person who inspired him to take over Germany and implement genocide.

However, Vaget admitted that Wagner had some significance in the shaping of Hitler's identity. With reason, historians "are quick to point out the similarity between the choreography of grand public spectacles, such as the Nuremberg Party rallies, and the grandeur of Wagnerian opera," said Vaget. "Here and in many similar cases, the mere association of Hitler with certain moments in Wagnerian music drama is thought to be self-explanatory."

Composer Richard Strauss, on the other hand, could not be seen as having been closely allied with the Third Reich, according to Bryan Gilliam, professor at Duke University. Strauss had a Jewish daughter-in-law as well as a Jewish librettist, and wanted no part in having Jews dismissed from their artistic posts. He viewed himself as apolitical, even superior to politicians. Such considerations came to an abrupt end in 1935 when Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels dismissed Strauss as president of the Reich Music Chamber, the official musicians' agency Strauss had headed, only to further long-held goals. After the dismissal, maintained Gilliam, Strauss "realized that this was a government like no other he had ever known - one that had the power to ruin his own career, even his family."

Professor Kim Kowalke of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester looked at two rival publishing houses which stayed afloat during the Nazi regime. He told of Jewish-run Universal Edition in Vienna, as it continued to operate for a while after Gestapo raids in 1938. Apparently, the Nazis encouraged the firm to export "degenerate music" to unfriendly countries, so Germany would make financial gains and people abroad would be morally corrupted. Schott Verlag in Mainz, the rival firm, had a formidable reputation as publisher of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Wagner's Ring, said Kowalke. "Its owners were 'Aryan' - one was even a member of the Nazi Party - and so were the vast majority of its composers," said Kowalke. Schott published Adolf Hitler-Fanfare, signed up compliant composers and struck from its catalogue compositions liable to offend the new regime.

"Such displays of loyalty to the cause allowed Schott considerable latitude in the conduct of its daily operations," he said. For instance, the firm continued to publish with impunity works openly banned, calling it a "sport" to do so. After the war was over, Willy Strecker of Schott informed the non-Jewish composer Paul Hindemith, whose works had been forbidden, that his compositions were still available. As Kowalke quoted Strecker: "The 12-year hiatus hasn't done any damage, since we were always working underground...."

According to Professor Pamela Potter from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, when Hitler came to power Berlin had world-famous institutions that "advertised Germany's enviable musical legacy". But at the same time, it had proven itself "a breeding ground for 'cultural Bolshevism' and 'decadence'". Potter spoke of how the Nazis reverted to old-style patronage in their administration of the capital's musical establishment. She explained that their reason for doing so was, in large part, to prove to the outside world that Nazi leaders were not Philistines.

On the whole, the conference papers painted a bleak picture of music under Nazism, "one whose outlines have hardly become visible", according to Kater. He spoke of plans to keep the topic alive by holding a follow-up conference in Berlin two years hence. "We have exposed hidden, destructive forces that have lingered after 1945," he said. "For example, even today it is risky for young German musicologists to uncover the music of the Nazi era if they want to have a tenured position. On the other hand, morality demands it, and so does the legitimate curiosity for truth."

"We organized this conference as a labour of love," said Michael Kater, distinguished research professor of history at York. "We agreed that we needed to get the truth out, a truth that was eluding us."

He and Albrecht Riethmüller of the Freie Universität Berlin had a common mission to reveal the hidden agenda they had discovered at a 1994 conference in Munich. Kater had been invited to speak there as a socio-cultural historian conducting research on German composer Carl Orff during the Third Reich. Organizers of that conference, not realizing that Kater had found evidence pointing to Orff's involvement with the Nazi regime, were confident that he would portray the composer as a bright instrument in Germany's orchestra.

"Instead I gave a speech which was anything but flattering," said Kater. "The director of the Carl Orff Centre was furious and the Orff Foundation backing the conference was extremely unhappy, charging that I'd missed the mark. That's when I met Reithmüller. He was the only prominent German musicologist at the conference who was also critical of the composer. We met after the event and decided we wanted to rectify what we both realized was a cover-up."

Kater, who has been at York since 1967, has long been fascinated with the rise of Adolf Hitler, the Nazi movement and the Third Reich. The author of seven books on the subject, his research focused mainly on the political structures in the beginning, then branched into social areas, such as how youth and women fared in the regime, and the medical profession under Hitler. For the last 15 years he has also worked on cultural subjects.

"Riethmüller and I chose 'Music and Nazism' as a topic for our conference because he as a musicologist and I as a historian have mutual, if differently situated, professional interests in that area. While as a social historian of culture I believe it has been neglected for too long a time, I also have a very personal interest in jazz and so-called classical music," said Kater.

His latest book in a trilogy on music in the Third Reich, Composers of the Nazi Era: Eight Portraits, will be published in a few weeks by Oxford University Press.

It happens at least once every winter - a storm dumps several feet of snow on the York campuses in just a few hours.

When major winter storms do hit, the University usually suspends normal operations and programs at both the York campus and the Glendon campus as long as the storm is considered a weather emergency.

While no one can predict accurately what winter has in store for us this year, York's weather policy may help to make any storms we do get a little more bearable. The policy has been designed to address communication concerns. You can obtain up-to-date information by tuning in to your radio or television, or by calling the University's weather information line at: (416) 736-5600.

The University decides to declare a weather emergency when it is determined that conditions may prevent safe travel to and from York, or when the weather may have substantial adverse effects on normal University operations. The vice-president (administration) makes the decision, in consultation with the president and the chair of Senate or their delegates, about whether to adopt emergency procedures or to suspend normal operating procedures, including cancellation of classes/examinations.

According to York's emergency weather policy, the decision about whether to cancel special events is left to the discretion of those directly responsible for organizing the event. It is assumed that decision-making and associated communications will be adapted, as appropriate, to suit the circumstances.

In case of weather emergencies, the following guidelines will be in effect:

* When weather emergency procedures are in force, the University will remain open and, when and where possible, essential services will be provided.

* A weather watch will be maintained during the period in which the emergency procedures remain in force. Conditions will be monitored until a decision is made to return to normal operations.

* Unless a decision is made to continue the weather emergency, the University will return to normal operations at 11 p.m. on the day of the emergency (for evening and night-shift employees) and at 8 a.m. the following morning for all other purposes.

Usually, a decision to declare weather emergencies will be made:

* by 5:30 a.m. for suspension of daytime operations (cancellation of classes, exams, activities, etc);

* by 1 p.m. for suspension of evening operations and cancellation of evening classes, exams and activities;

* by 9 p.m. for suspension of nighttime operations.

Essential services, such as the Department of Safety, Security, and Parking Services; Facilities Management; Computing and Communications Services; and Instructional Services, are required to continue to operate under their own respective emergency operating procedures.

York University Weather Emergency Number:

(416) 736-5600

The following radio stations will carry notification
should York adopt emergency weather procedures:

CBC ONE, CFRB, CKFM, CHUM AM/FM,
CFNY, CHFI, CJCL, Q107, CHOG, CHRY, CISS

The following television stations will carry notification should York adopt emergency weather procedures:

CFTO-TV, GLOBAL TV.

Parking restrictions due to snow routes

The Parking Services office at York wishes to remind members of the York community that snow route parking restrictions are scheduled to begin the week of Nov. 15, and they will remain in effect until March 30, 2000. Parking in areas that are designated as a "snow route" is prohibited between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Vehicles parked in these areas will be issued a parking violation and towed at the owner's expense. For more information, contact Parking Services at (416) 736-5335.

By Susan Scott

York aims to raise up to $7 million - which will be matched by the provincial government - to double the University's enrolment in computer science programs. So far, approximately $5 million has been raised towards that goal.

The University is launching this initiative under the Access to Opportunities Program (ATOP), established in 1998 by the Ontario government. The program's objectives are to double the number of information technology-related spots for students at all Ontario universities and colleges over the 1997-1998 enrolment levels; increase job opportunities in the high tech field for graduates; and provide the business community with graduates to help them succeed in what's being called the knowledge-based economy.

In fact, York already has one of the largest programs in Ontario involving majors in computer science.

York recently launched new Information Technology Education Courses (ITEC) to provide Bachelor of Arts degrees (ordinary and honours) in programs that combine computer science with studies in liberal arts, humanities and social sciences. ATOP funding will support increasing enrolment in these programs.

This year an initiative to solicit major gifts, and York's Tentanda Via Fund (the new name for the University's Annual Fund), are focusing on ATOP funding for the Faculties of Pure and Applied Science, Arts, and Glendon and Atkinson Colleges.

The deadline for private sector contributions is Nov. 30. Private sector pledges must be received by March 31, 2001.

What is ATOP?

ATOP is the Access to Opportunities Program. The Ontario Ministry of Education and Training announced the program in its May 1998 budget. The budget provides $150 million over three years and aims to double entry-level enrolment in Ontario universities and colleges in computer science and high-demand fields of engineering.

How can the private sector help?

The ATOP program recognizes that universities face substantial costs to meet these program objectives. To assist, the government will:

* match dollar-for-dollar private sector cash and/or in-kind contributions towards eligible one-time expansion costs;
* provide on-going funding to support the increased student load.

So, how many more students can universities accept?

Plans submitted by the universities show a total increase of more than 17,000 students over the next few years. In York's case, there are currently approximately 1,200 undergraduate and 50 graduate students in the Department of Computer Science. The plans call for approximately 1,100 new spaces for undergraduates, and 11 graduate student spaces under the ATOP program.

What qualifies as a contribution?

Private sector support can be:

* cash (or stock with the benefit of reduced capital gains tax impact), which can be targeted for specific purposes such as endowed Chairs, professorships, scholarships, research projects, new buildings or renovation or expansion of existing ones;

* in-kind contributions such as new, used or loaned equipment, software and professional services at fair market value.

by Cathy Carlyle

It takes a student to really know what another student needs. That's the belief of York student Noah Gurza. It is a conviction backed up by the tremendous response he has had to his new Web site aimed directly at cutting through waffle, misinformation, lack of information and dead ends.

The site, www.campusaccess.com, is a free, all-encompas sing university and college resource that is easy to navigate and speaks in a down-to-earth style. With over 400 pages of text it has numerous detailed sections on subjects dear to 1.4 million students' hearts all across the country.

"Look, fundamentally, we're here for you. If there's anything you want that we don't have let us know," it starts out on the home page, reflecting its founder's relaxed and open-for-business manner. "When I was at McGill seeking information on what graduate programs were available and where, and how to get funding, I had difficulty getting what I needed," said the 24-year-old master of political science student. "That's when I became determined to set up a one-stop resource that would be user-friendly, free, current and had a forum for students to keep in touch."

The fact that Gurza was putting in long hours on his master's degree at York didn't prevent him from working 10 hours a day on planning and setting up such a Web site for students at high schools, community colleges and universities. The new site took a year and a half of preparation, but it was sizzling by Sept. 1 this year. "Whatever students want from us, we are trying to provide," seems to be the motto of Gurza and his partner in the project, Reza Zargham. They pledge to update the Web site information weekly, and to continue soliciting feedback on what people perceive they need at the site.

Gurza began the undertaking by first deciding what he would like to see on such a site, asking others what they wanted, then sending questionnaires to students. He took his own advice when financing Campus Access, using information he had gathered which now is available on his Web site. He got a bank loan, hired a site designer and a programmer for the large database, and four months ago took Zargham on board. Zargham is more heavily involved in the business side of the venture, seeking sponsors. In fact, the way the site is financed is through advertising and sponsorships. For students, though, there is no charge for placing classified ads and accessing free e-mail through the site.

Gurza said the sections on graduate schools and the Canadian job database have had the most hits so far. Financial aid is also up there. The largest section is on professional grad schools such as medicine, law and teaching, where students can acquire information on programs available, online applications, ways to finance schooling etc. "In about 12 minutes students can apply from our site to all Canadian law schools," said Gurza. "Resume-writing is another big area. In fact, we've put together a whole catalogue of action verbs to help students find the right one to use. We've also drawn up a list of sample questions that they might expect during an interview and we're in the process of putting together some suggested answers. We're going to post samples of student art, too, because we want our site to be a showcase for Canadian art. There's even a section where some companies offer discounts for Campus Access users." Sexual health, nutrition, naturopathic medicine and city guides are some of the other sections.

Zargham and Gurza have managed to attract writers, academics and other experts to contribute advice and articles as a way of promoting their book or services and helping students at the same time. "One of them is Kevin Makra who has written The Canadian Students Employment Guide. We're running an abridged version online, and it's free," said Gurza. "His book is fantastic, and career centres are crazy about it. It tells you what jobs are available, and what skills and qualifications are needed."

Other big names providing back-up on the Web site are Mark Tewksbury, Olympic gold medallist and author of Visions of Excellence; Karen Schaffer, author of The Job of your Life and Hire Power; Jean Mark Hachey, author of The Canadian Guide to Working and Living Overseas; Jasmine Carino, an instructor at the College of Naturopathic Medicine; Gunter Schlierkamp, champion with the International Association of Body Builders; and Marco Di Buono, nutritionist and researcher at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children.

As well as providing an internship database of over 400 organizations, Gurza and Zargham offer their own internship opportunities. They are seeking campus representatives around the country to keep them up-to-date with what's going on at every university and college. "We have lots of internship positions for those of you who want to gain some valuable work experience in research and journalism," states the Web site. "As we grow older, we might begin to lose (along with our hair) the ability to stay current, 'groovy', if you will. It's the last thing we want to let happen."

With Gurza and Zargham steering the online resource and tuning it up regularly, it's not likely to grow stale. "We're getting some great reactions," said Gurza. "I am happy to see students responding in such an appreciative way. That's the best reward."

CALL FOR CONSULTATION AND NOMINATIONS

A Search Committee advisory to the president has been established to make recommendations to the president concerning a new dean of Atkinson College. Members of the Search Committee are:

Maureen Blenkhorn, AK Staff Rep, AK-Office of the Dean
Michelle Earls, AK Student Rep, Vice-Chair, AK College Students' Association
Wenona Giles, AK Faculty Rep, AK-Social Science
David Lumsden, President's Rep, Department of Anthropology
Kim Snow, AK Faculty Rep, AK-Administrative Studies
Noreen Stuckless, President's Rep, AK Alumni
Dennis Sumara, President's Rep, Faculty of Education
Belaria Zatzman, AK Faculty Rep, AK-Fine Arts
Phillip Silver, Faculty of Fine Arts, Chair
Marie Gonsalves, Faculty of Fine Arts, Secretary

The Search Committee is continuing to develop selection criteria which will form the basis for selection.

The dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of Atkinson College. The dean holds ultimate responsibility for all of the internal administrative affairs of the Faculty and should be seen as the leader of the Faculty in academic matters, both internally and externally. A more extensive description of the duties of the dean is available from the secretary. The report of the Task Force, Atkinson Task Force: Revisioning the Future is also available. It is expected that the term of the dean will begin July 1, 2000.

The committee invites nominations from within the University.

Please submit nominations in confidence to:
Secretary, Search Committee - Atkinson College
Faculty of Fine Arts, Dean's Office
Rm. 212, CFA

by December 7, 1999.

The committee welcomes applications from all qualified individuals and encourages applications from women, members of visible minorities, aboriginal persons and persons with disabilities.

by Susan Scott

An accountant, a technical writer, and a development director. Each has something in common.

They spoke at a recent Career Day seminar at York exploring the question, "What Can I Do with an English Degree?" And, yes, each of these individuals has an English degree that contributed to their career success.

The event was organized by each of York's English departments, Atkinson and Glendon Colleges and the Faculty of Arts, to provide students, and those about to graduate, an insight into what careers are possible with a degree some may think can only lead to an academic or writing career.

A panel of nine speakers offered glimpses into their success. They were: Jill Planche, Director of Development at The Shaw Festival; Helen Sullivan, an insurance industry executive; Marsha Lederman, host of her own radio show in Toronto; Harriet Lewis, a lawyer and York's general legal counsel; Brian Metcalfe, a chartered accountant; Dianne Tromba, financial officer at York; Al Daigen, technical writer and business owner; Julie Drexler, head librarian at Glendon's Leslie Frost Library; and Carolyn Steele, career development coordinator at York. All are University alumni except for Metcalfe and Daigen who graduated from the University of Toronto and Montreal's McGill University, respectively.

One of the organizers, Diana Cooper-Clark, Chair of Atkinson's English department, explained this is the second year for the event, and the first time the three departments cooperated in the planning and organization. Last year, Cooper-Clark organized the event and invited Glendon and Arts students to attend. She said another career day event is planned at Glendon in March.

Among the top skills honed while studying English, speakers identified critical thinking, research, writing and problem-solving. Harriet Lewis commented that literature taught her about modern notions of greed and social convention. She learned how to tell a story which she says is the basis of her work as a lawyer. Marsha Lederman said she learned how to speak and debate with other people. Helen Sullivan explained literature helped her to understand people and to synthesize her ideas and analyze arguments.

Some said the strength of their covering letters accompanying job applications won them their first jobs, signalling their ability to clearly communicate their ideas.

Whatever career path students choose, Cooper-Clark said the message from the speakers was clear: most careers don't exist until you create them. She urged students to "open their minds to new possibilities" when considering their future plans.

Other tips included seeking out internships and volunteer work as stepping stones to possible career paths. "They don't pay but they pay off," Cooper-Clark summed up. Jill Planche recommended students initiate follow-up phone calls after applying for a job. In one case, she applied for a job and called back on the day someone had resigned from that company. The person who had interviewed Planche hired her for the vacancy.

Al Daigen, who owns his own technical communications and marketing company, said technical writing and communications, particularly in the field of "new media" offer opportunities for English graduates.

He explained that 30 years ago, technical writers wrote technical manuals. Today, technical writers and communicators include writers, editors and graphic artists who specialize in technical communications. He cited companies needing writers to prepare content for their Web sites that is clear and concise.

Daigen is also involved with The Society for Technical Communication, a United States-based technical writers' organization with approximately 24,000 members that has an active chapter in Toronto. He urged students to get involved in groups like this which offer them a chance to talk to other technical writers about how they got into the field.

He also suggested students interested in this type of career enrol in courses offered through Glendon College, the University of Waterloo, Seneca, Humber and George Brown Colleges. Then, seek out junior level positions at technical companies that already employ senior technical writers. He admitted technical writing "isn't for every English major" but encouraged students to consider it as an option.

Dianne Tromba, financial officer at York, said students should try not to get hung up on job descriptions. Her own job involves writing reports, policies and procedures, planning and overseeing budgets, strategic planning and managing various projects. She received her English degree at the University and enhanced that training with accounting and 10 years working in the private sector.

"Job labels put you in a box, I think students need to think outside the box to find their way," said Tromba. While her work does involve creating and managing budgets at the University, she said she "always wanted to study literature" to broaden her knowledge.

"Don't take an English major for granted, don't undervalue the skills and what they mean to your careers," she told students.

Vision and Action (Cambridge University Press, 1998) edited by psychology and biology professor Laurence Harris and computer science professor Michael Jenkin deals with vision and action as an interactive, multi sensory visual process. It is becoming apparent to perception scientists and visual psychophysicists that perceptual senses do not function in isolation. The visual processes involved in moving, reaching, grasping and playing sports turns out to be a complex interaction. This book derives from an international conference held at York University where leading scientists from around the world met to discuss several facets of vision and action. The book would be of interest to graduate students and researchers in vision science.

Political Science student Melanie Stewart Millar's Cracking the Gender Code:Who Rules the Wired World? (Second Story Press, 1998) won first prize this year in the computer/Internet category of the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Stewart Millar's argues that women must critically examine and understand our relationship to technology if we re to have decision-making power in the digital society that is rapidly taking shape around us. Using the critical tools of a feminist politics of anticipation, she points to strategies and coalition-based activism that can help us counteract the relentless pursuit to technotopia: a place where women and people of colour are once again relegated to the lower echelons of the social structure and where democracy is being redefined.

Computational Principles of Mobile Robotics (Cambridge University Press) by authors Michael Jenkin, York professor of computer science, and Gregory Dudek, director of the mobile robotics laboratory at McGill University, emphasizes the computational methods of programming robotics, rather than the methods of constructing the hardware. The book is divided into three major parts: locomotion, sensing and reasoning. Mobile robotics is a multidisciplinary field involving both computer science and engineering. Addressing the design of automated systems lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence, computational vision and robotics. Autonomous robots must negotiate the reality of moving, sensing and reasoning out their environment. *Mobile Robotics* approaches these three tasks and describes the way in which existing robotic systems have addressed them.

Research explores connections between information technology and international politics

Michael Dartnell is fascinated by information technology and how political organizations around the world are increasingly using the Internet to get their messages out.

The 1993 PhD graduate from York has returned to the University for this academic year after receiving a $30,000 grant from the United States Institute of Peace to study this phenomenon. The Institute is a Washington-based organization created by the US Congress to promote peaceful resolution to conflicts around the world. Prior to coming to York, Dartnell was at Concordia University in Montreal. He's now based at York's Centre for International and Security Studies.

He's planning to use his funding to research and create "Insurgency Online" a permanent website archive about Internet-active political groups. In fact, this work in progress is available through York's site: www.yorku.ca/research/ionline/insuron.htm. He's also planning research trips and eventually a book chronicling his findings. To assist him with the project, Dartnell has five research assistants. As well this year, he's teaching two seminars at the University, one called "The Politics of Cyberspace", the other called "Insurgency Online".

While searching for a base to conduct his research, he approached York because of its "innovative and progressive profile." He believes his work complements the University's objective to heighten its profile in the field of information technology, which is a new area for international relations and comparative political research.

Dartnell has written and lectured extensively on politics and terrorism. Among others, he's written on France's Action Directe, an extreme-left terrorist organization. As well, his current website includes his Online Guide to Political Inquiry, a links library of hundreds of political science resources.

So, who are these groups? Dartnell says they can be "democratic or non-democratic, but not mainstream." Some examples include the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, a small political party that Dartnell estimates captured a small percentage of the vote (approximately 10,000 people out of the 500,000 people in Northern Ireland) in that province's most recent election. Another example is the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, a social and political action organization interested in democracy and women's rights in their country that is using the Web to document conditions in that country. Still another is Hamas, the Palestinian resistance organization against Israeli occupation. And another is Gay and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, who publicized homophobic remarks made by that country's leader, Robert Mugabe.

He admits the number of groups with their own sites, or pages on other sites, is "huge." His own interest in the subject was sparked when, as a PhD student at York, he completed his thesis on political terrorism and "how marginal organizations get their message into the mainstream." More recently, he's combined that interest with the Internet revolution.

The striking point, says Dartnell, is how the Internet helps these groups get their message out. "They can have influence far beyond their numbers and far beyond their physical location" because of the international scope of the Internet.

Ultimately, using the Internet will, in Dartnell's mind, create a new kind of "political elite," one that is highly technically "savvy." He's also interested in the way the Internet is breaking down traditional territorial politics.

"A country, its politics and individual identity used to be identified by territorial limits that were inviolable. But, it doesn't matter where you are with the Internet. So, I want to know, what does this mean? How do we understand the power system, what is power, and how does the individual fit into this?" says Dartnell.

Although there are organizations dabbling in similar research, including The Rand Corporation, a non-profit research group in the US, and the Institute of Peace in the US, Dartnell says his research is more comprehensive. His focus is to establish a permanent educational and archival research centre on the Web, a clearing house of information on one site.